KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate: Kyle Moyer

Date: Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Varano Coop. Initials:

Subject: Natural Hazards vs. Natural Disasters (inquiry) Group Size: 20 Allotted Time:

60 mins Grade Level: Fourth

Common Core/Pa Standard: Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard - 3.3.4.A.1

Describe basic landforms. Identify the layers of the earth. Recognize that the surface of the earth

changes due to slow processes and rapid processes.

Learning Targets/Objectives: The students will be able to differentiate between and natural

hazard and a natural disaster by completing an inquiry on how to prevent natural disasters.

Assessment Approaches:

Approaches Evidence

Think, pair, share Observational

Student observations Anecdotal checklist

Save Our City! Student responses

Exit slip Slip answers

Assessment Scale:

Save Our City!: 4 examples = proficient, 3-2 examples = basic, 1-0 examples = below basic

Exit Slip: 4 = proficient, 3 = basic, 2-0 = below basic

Subject Matter/Content:

● Prerequisite skills:

○ Layers of the earth

 ○ Tectonic plates

● Key Vocabulary:

○ avalanche: A large slide of snow, ice and/or earth down a slope.

○ earthquake: Shaking of the ground caused by friction between the tectonic plates.

○ flood: When normally dry land is submerged with water.

○ forest fire: An uncontrolled fire in a forested area.

○ hurricane: An organized rotating storm that forms in or near the tropics.

○ landslide: A large movement of earth down a slope.

○ natural disaster: A disaster affecting humans that is caused by a natural hazard.

○ natural hazard: A natural event that has the ability to cause destruction.

○ thunderstorm: A powerful storm that includes lightning and thunder.

○ tornado: A funnel-shaped storm characterized by high winds.

○ tsunami: A large ocean wave caused by the displacement of the sea floor.

○ volcano: An opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash and gases

are ejected.

○ avalauncher: A device used to launch explosives (an avalanche mortar) onto

avalanche-prone slopes in order to trigger small avalanches so that large

avalanches do not form.

○ buoy: A floating device.

○ DART: DART = deep-ocean assessment and reporting of tsunamis system. A

collection of sensors and buoys that detect potential tsunamis and warn people in

coastal areas.
 ○ Doppler radar: A type of weather radar that is used to detect precipitation and

track the speed and direction of a storm.

○ engineer: A person who applies her/his understanding of science and mathematics

to creating things for the benefit of humanity and our planet.

○ seismometer: A device for detecting and measuring the intensity of an earthquake.

Also known as a seismograph.

○ tiltmeter: A device placed on a volcano that can detect changes in the size of the

volcano due to increased magma volume. Used to help predict impending

eruptions.

Implementation:

Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:

● Say to the class, “Boys and girls I just received a phone call from the mayor of Merryville

asking for our help! Merryville is in danger of some horrible natural disasters and they

need our help to prevent them from happening.”

● Tell the students that before we can get started on saving Merryville, we first need to be

sure we all know what a natural disaster is.

● Have the students think, pair, share after prompting them with, “Do you know any of the

natural disasters that could occur on Earth?”

● Have students share their thoughts by either confirming or clarifying their guesses. Ask

why they think that would be a natural disaster.

Development/Teaching Approaches:
● Say to class, “The mayor of Merryville wants to make sure that we know the difference

between a natural hazard and a natural disaster first. We also need to be aware of all the

disasters that could happen.”

● Explain the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster

○ Slide 2 of the powerpoint has the definition for each of these

○ Have students write them down on the guided note sheet

● Introduce the natural hazards/disasters that will be gone over

○ Avalanche

○ Earthquake

○ Floods

○ Forest fires

○ Hurricanes

○ Landslides

○ Thunderstorms

○ Tornadoes

○ Tsunamis

○ Volcano

● Say, “Now that we know the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster

and aware of all the natural disasters that could happen, we can help save Merryville.”

● Pass out the paper Map of Unawaria and Disaster Prevention Devices

○ Precut Disaster Prevention Devices into strips that contain all 6 devices

● Instruct students that they need to cut out the devices and glue them to the area on the

map where they think they should go.

 ○ Tell the students to use the name of the devices as clues to where they should go

○ As students work ask the students, “What do you think (device name) is used for

and why?”

● As students begin to finish have them color their maps

● Briefly discuss each of the devices and their purpose

● Pass out Save Our City! Paper

○ This will have the correct locations for each device

● Instruct students to write in the space below four reasons why Merryville is in danger of a

natural disaster and why

● Call on students to share their reasons

● Reopen powerpoint using slides 3-7

○ Students should return to their guided notes

○ For every slide read the definition and other notes (listed below)

○ Slide 3: avalanche and earthquake

■ Tell/ask students that in Pennsylvania it is rare to feel an earthquake and

why they think that is

○ Slide 4: floods and forest fires

■ Ask the students what they think is some of the biggest causes are of a

forest fire

● Dry air/land

● Lack of water

● People (not considered a natural disaster since started by humans)

○ Slide 5: hurricanes and landslides

 ○ Slide 6: thunderstorms and tornadoes

■ Ask the students if they can recall a time when they saw a thunderstorm

○ Slide 7: tsunamis and volcanoes

■ Ask “If a tsunami is caused by movement of the earth’s surface, what

hazard do you think caused it?”

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:

● Review the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster

● This is the last lesson in the unit before the review and final assessment

● Collect Save Our City! and the exit slip

Accommodations/Differentiation:

● Students who have an intellectual disability could receive the project in a different

manner

○ Physical

○ Video

Materials/Resources:

● Map of Unawaria (20)

● Disaster Prevention Devices (1 sheet = 20 strips)

● Save Our City! (20)

● Exit Slip (20)

● Scissors

● Colored pencils or crayons

● Glue sticks
 ● https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MAvjoz0flpMK896YYVwViRy_Uaw71sI7RgeI

MxvAxD4/edit?usp=sharing

Reflective Response:

Personal Reflection:

● Were the students thoroughly engaged through the whole lesson?

● Were the students able to understand every part of the lesson?

Name:_________________
Guided Notes
A ____________________ is a natural event that has the ability
to cause ________________. A ____________________ is a
_______________ affecting humans that is _______________
by a natural hazard.
Avalanche and Earthquake
An ___________________ is a large _________ of snow, ice,
and/or ________ down a slope. An _______________ is the
shaking of the ___________ caused by __________ between
tectonic plates.
Floods and Forest Fires
A flood is when _____________ dry _______ is submerged
with _________. A ___________________ is an uncontrolled
fire in a __________ area.
Hurricanes and Landslides
A _______________ is an organized ____________ storm that
forms in or near the tropics. A _______________ is a large
movement of earth down a slope.

Thunderstorms and Tornadoes

A thunderstorm is a ______________ storm that includes
____________ and ____________. A _______________ is a
funnel-shaped storm characterized by __________________.
Tsunamis and Volcanoes
A _________________ is a __________ ocean wave caused by
the ________________ of the sea floor. A volcano is an
_______________ in the earth’s _________ through which
molten ________, ________, and ________ are ejected.

Name:____________________

Exit Slip
Circle the correct answer at the start of the question

1. True or False: Natural hazards and natural disasters are

exactly the same thing.

2. True or False: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake that left

nearly 300,000 people homeless was a natural disaster.

3. True or False: A nuclear power plant meltdown is a natural

hazard.

4. True or False: A fire that started by a burning candle and

destroyed the personal belongings of all the people who

live in an apartment building is a natural disaster.